This post continues that initial thought process that was started November 30 regarding stories.

Some thought provoking things happened in the spiritual family that I am a part of last Tusday night. In between singing offtune Christmas carols around the piano and watching the claymation version of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer we took time as a group to share stories of thankfullness from the past year.

Upon some further reflection about the stories that were shared among the group and my own personal story I began to realize how my story on thankfullness regarding my "family" has changed this past year. One year ago I cognitively knew that my "family was those that I gathered together with on a Sunday morning but I also knew that practically speaking those people were not my "family." A major mental shift has occurred in my life regarding the story of my family. My family has grown bigger this year and now includes those people who are a part of WLGBC. The Lord continues to be the source of my spiritual strength but it is through my "family" that I see the finger of the Lord reaching down to touch my life. My story regarding family has changed and continues to shape the way that I think, believe and interact with any idea within the realm of spiritual family. Those in my spiritual family are the ones that I am connected with.

In light of these things, here is my equipping thought for this week. Think through your story of "family" and in particular, spiritual family. Think about those that desperately want to be part of a group and feel connected to a "family" that you see and interact with everyday.
Rick Warren wrote, "Small groups are the most effective way of closing the back door of your church. We never worry about losing people who are connected to a small group."
-Rick Warren

Stories.
Stories of Grace.
Each one of us has them. Stories where those we may or may not know show grace to us and the times that we show grace to others. A time where I received grace that stands out in my mind was

being pulled over for speeding as an 18 year old. The cop let me go with a warning even though I certainly did not deserve that generosity. I was going 70 in a 55 construction zone and yet he looked at me and said that I could go without a ticket.

So what does this have to do with small groups?

Theology terms like grace are nice and tidy in text books and they usually come with a myriad of references about the exact definition of the word. But, while rationalizing and explaining the word its meaning is lost. The majority of the world learns orally, not through reading and formal education. Learning is done around the dinner table, dancing around a fire late into the night and sipping matte while swinging on hammocks. All the while telling stories about our lives. Here in the Western World we have our own stories that shape who we are and what we know about things but unfortunately we often do not recognize what our stories are because we are so enamoured with linear, rationale learning. Another unfortunate truth is that stories that help Americans understand themselves and the culture that they live in usually come from television and the movies.

I encourage you to take some time as a small group and share your stories of Grace. Share your own personal story of ultimate Grace that was shown in your life when you recognized what Christ did for you. Even take time to share about the Grace the has been shown to you by other people. It is these stories that shape who we are and what we believe and understand about the concept of Grace. The wordy definitions in theological books do not do that. Next time that your group meets take some time to share stories about your lives, it will give a much clearer picture of WHO you are in community with.

I love sports almost to a fault. If I could I would spend hours every day reading espn.com or watching sports on TV. During my growing up years I played on many sports teams and as I think back to those days some very interesting things come to light.........

Some of the teams that i played on were really bad and others were really good and alot of them were somewhere in the middle. As I was trying to thinka about what made them good or bad I was trying to make a correlation back to the talent that was on the team but I realized that I couldn't really do that. I played on some teams that had alot of talent that finished with a great record and I played on other teams that had alot of talent that finished with an average record. Likewise, teams that had very little talent did not always finish in last place. So what made the difference? The teams that I was a part that did well always had great relationships where each member of the team was highly valued. Each of those members was focused on pursueing a goal the guys that I competed with were a closeknit group. The teams that did not do well, no matter the talent level, were never unified. Individuals would put themselves above the team and there were not clear cut goals to pursue.

Well, you might be wondering...what does this have to do with small groups/spiritual families? It has everything to do with spiritual families. The key thing that made those sports teams good was the community that was within the team. It is the same in small groups/spiritual families. When common goals are pursued within the context of authentic community amazing things can happen.

Why do we do what we do? This question was talked about the other Wednesday night in my Small Group Family. Why come to Youth Group on Wednesday night? Why come to Sunday School and morning worship on Sunday morning? Why coffee on monday evening with student leadership? Do your friends and people that you interact with daily know what you do on those days and why you do it? More importantly do you know why you do it. My hope is that is isn't just because it seems like that right thing to or that your parents make you come or even that it is what makes a person a Christian. There is a much deeper meaning to these activities.

This discussion came out of a discussion comparing legalism and grace. Legalism tells us that we have to do those things because that is what a Christian does. That is not true. When we act according to the large portion of Grace that the Lord has given us then we want to be a part of the body and participate in youth group and church out of our love for God, not out of an obligation. The gift that we have, being part of the body of Christ is so amazing. There are people that hold common values with us that we get to celebrate together the grace given to us. Take a moment and rethink about why you are a part of youth group and church. Think about the freedom that we have in demonstrating the celebration of the grace that has been shown to us.